Boar snorted and rubbed his face, still groggy after a night on hard stone. He pulled down his lower lip, revealing his protruding canines. “Used to be worse before I had braces. The nickname grew on me. Wild boars can be total savages, you know?”
Out of nowhere, Boar’s heart started thudding in his chest like a war drum.
Matt grinned, watching him without pause, as if Boar was the smartest, most interesting guy he’d ever met. “Are you?”
Boar’s tongue twisted and tangled in a desperate attempt to impress someone so much more experienced in life. “I can be.”
“But that’s not why you’re sleeping outside?” Matt asked, pulling on Boar’s clothing. The layers must have been a dead giveaway that he hadn’t lost his way home after a night out.
The buzzing energy, which fueled Boar in the presence of this handsome stranger, depleted. “I’m not seeing eye to eye with my family.”
Matt grinned. “You told them to fuck themselves and decided not to return until they give up?”
“Err, more like they kicked me out and told me not to come back until I’m straight.” Boar felt daring about saying it out loud, but Matt’s attitude suggested he was at least sexually flexible.
The smiling mouth pressed into a tight line. “Fuck them, then. Cutting ties with my toxic family has been the best thing I’ve ever done. Never looked back!”
Boar let out a bitter laugh. “So you’re saying I could be just like you and fall asleep on the pavement in a few years’ time? Yay,” he said before biting his tongue. “I mean… sorry, I didn’t mean it that way,” he tried to soften his earlier comment. Why did he always have to fuck up a good thing?
But Matt didn’t seem offended and lay still, as if the floor was the comfiest of beds. “Damn right! You can sleep wherever you want, with whomever you want, and there won’t be any of that ‘be back by 10 p.m. shit’.”
Boar snorted, and his heart sped up again as he watched Matt speak with such confidence. “Yeah? You had that too?”
Matt rolled his eyes, his lips briefly making a pout. “My dad treated us like a military unit. It was crazy. He’d check every crevice in the room for dust with a white glove.”
“Oh yeah? That why you now like dirt so much?” Boar ran his thumb down Matt’s scruffy cheek.
“Nothing wrong with getting a little filthy.” Matt wiggled his eyebrows, making the inked flames come alive, and rolled out of their makeshift bed. He offered his hand to Boar. “Let’s go. I’m hungry.”
Boar assessed him in silence, for once unsure if he should follow Matt’s lead. This guy was the kind of person Boar’s family, friends, and Church would have called a ‘bad influence’, but, he wasn’t obliged to follow their rules anymore. What was the worst that could happen when Matt, regardless of the state he’d been in last night and his provocative exterior, was the first person to show Boar kindness since he’d left home?
They’d lain together all night, but somehow the voluntary squeeze he gave Matt’s hand held more weight. Boar was ready to carry it nevertheless and stood so fast the momentum sent him bumping into Matt’s chest. He took a step back, flustered when his new friend offered him a wide grin, as if this was exactly what he’d been going for when he tugged Boar to his feet.
“So… where are we going?” Boar asked, certain that he shouldn’t continue walking with another man’s hand in his but couldn’t make himself let go yet.
“My place.”
Boar swallowed. Was he being invited… for sex? “Oh. So you have a place?”
Matt shrugged. “Yeah, I’m sharing with some friends. Need a bath,” he said, pulling his top to his nose and revealing an inked, ripped stomach that made Boar’s eyes grow wider.
“Would it be weird if I took one too?” After three days in the street, shame lost to the need to be clean.
Matt grinned. “One thing you need to know about our community: we like to save water.”
Heat erupted in Boar’s chest first, but then rose until it bloomed on his face. “Y-you usually this forward?” he asked, yet wouldn’t let go of the hand in his. His head spun with the insanity of the emotion it triggered, but something was changing in his doomed life, and he would grab it… by the balls if necessary.
A somber expression passed over Matt’s face. “Holding back is a waste of life.”
Boar’s heart skipped a beat. He was shocked by Matt’s openness to a man he’d just met, but they had spent a night together, so maybe that warranted sincerity in Matt’s book. “I’ve been holding back my whole life.”
Matt winked at him. “Then you haven’t yet lived.”
Boar hunched his shoulders, walking alongside him in constant fear of what would happen if they were confronted over their joined hands, but there were barely any people about, even though the air was crisp and the sun—already high in the sky.
Matt’s thumb drew small circles on Boar’s hand, but neither of them addressed it on the way through small streets. Boar’s brain was working overtime, keeping him in a frenzy until they reached a blocky building covered in graffiti.
Matt led him in through a broken window, and it occurred to Boar that he would either lose his virginity here or get murdered for the ten dollars in his pocket. He discreetly scanned Matt from head to toe. Their interaction was making fireworks explode in his heart, but Dad had always said to watch out for people with colored hair.
“So… I’m guessing you and your friends don’t actually own this place?”
Matt rolled his eyes. “Who needs papers? If it’s unused, why let it rot?” he asked and helped Boar inside. The corridor they entered was long but clean, with some mismatched furniture offering a place to rest, but Matt put his arm across Boar’s back before he could have asked anything. How many people lived here? Was this a drug den? Did they all use marijuana?
“Better keep quiet now. Most will be asleep,” Matt whispered, leading him along a sequence of shut doors until they reached a large lounging area full of pillows scattered over the floor and anarchist posters hung on walls.
Boar nodded, frowning at the sight of one guy sleeping on the sofa with his sweatpants pulled down and a smiley face drawn on his buttocks. The place was like a frat house for adults without jobs the morning after a big party.
“Is it like this every day?” he whispered to Matt.
Matt blinked, but then nudged Boar with his elbow. “Why, you like that view?” he asked, ushering him toward the kitchen. Metal shelving units containing food stood next to it, and while some of the products looked shabby, they were surely edible. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, and Boar would take whatever he was given at this point.
He snorted. “If I’d known I was saving the Prince of Squats, I would have been more courteous.”
“Kiss my ring then. You owe me an apology,” Matt said, extending his left hand, adorned with several metal signets.
Boar laughed out loud in disbelief at how comfortable he was around this near-stranger. Matt and him… they clicked. Just like that. Boar didn’t have to posture around him like he always had with friends from church, or pretend to be someone else, like he had around family.
He grabbed the offered hand and kissed it, watching Matt’s face. “I apologize, my prince.”
The fingers twitched, gently patting the underside of his chin. Matt’s chest expanded as he sucked in air, keeping his gaze trained on Boar’s face. “That’s not enough.”
Boar ran his fingers through his hair. Homeless, plain, and inexperienced, how was he the object of interest for a guy like Matt? Still, he would grab it, even if he didn’t yet know what to do with it. He glanced at the shelves
“You’re one greedy prince. I can make us breakfast.”
“He cooks! Maybe you can find a place in my court after all,” Matt said, entering the kitchen and opening a beat-up fridge.
Boar took the opportunity to stare at Matt illuminated by the bright light from inside the fridge. He was everything Boar wasn’t. Matt
lived life however he pleased, and Boar would do so too if he decided to stay here.
“Whatever it takes. Any allergies?” Boar asked, reaching past Matt for a pan. The kitchen was basic and only had one stove, but it would do.
“Only sexism, homophobia, and racism,” Matt said, rolling away from the fridge with a can of cheap beer in hand.
As Boar cooked, they fell into comfortable banter, chatting about Matt’s life in the squat and about the other people living there. Matt shared an outrageous story about how a police raid had ended up with the cops joining an orgy, and boasted about his skills in juggling lit torches. By the end of the cooking, Boar was invited to stay for the evening party and witness Matt in action.
In the street, people had barely talked to Boar, and once his phone had run out of battery, the sudden onslaught of loneliness had been unbearable. Matt was the breath of fresh air Boar needed, even if neither of them smelled fresh.
For a meal made out of food reclaimed from supermarket trash, the impromptu frankfurter and tomato stew not only looked good but also smelled decent. By the time Boar was about to serve the dish over rice, Matt had gravitated dangerously close. So close Boar could sense the warmth of his breath on his nape.
He wasn’t sure he was ready to acknowledge it yet, but the sound of someone approaching the kitchen made him pull away without thinking, only to see a skinny guy in cutoff shorts and a tank top revealing tattooed arms.
He smiled at Boar with charming blue eyes and pushed back long black hair. “Smells nice, new guy.”
Matt stood between them and spread his arms. “Whoa! Stand in line okay?”
Boar snorted, trying not to stare at the pretty arrival. “There’s enough for both of you.”
“I like a man who can cook,” the twink said, gliding across the kitchen with his eyes locked on Boar.
What was this new reality where every guy he met acted as if he were a juicy piece of steak? He had no idea, but he definitely didn’t hate it.
“Dru, don’t push it. I found him first,” Matt said, putting his hand on Boar’s nape and letting it rest there.
Boar laughed, because how else was he to react to something that both scared and flattered him? “As I said, there’s enough for both of you.”
Dru offered him a little smile and grabbed a plate. “Are you offering a threesome?”
Boar raised his hands in panic. “Wha—no! I’m sorry, just a stupid joke, don’t mind me!”
“You’re stressing him out,” Matt said, resting his chin on Boar’s shoulder. The heat of his body was a flame, and Boar’s heart was a moth, but he ignored its longing for now and finished preparing the food.
Dru didn’t hesitate to pile the stew onto his plate. “Okay, okay! I’m going. Thaaank you.” He grinned at Boar, and when he turned on his heel, Boar couldn’t help but follow the hot pants with his gaze. “Dig in!” he said, turning around to Matt, already flustered.
Matt grabbed a fork and stabbed it into one of the remaining plates before pushing the oversized bite into his mouth so hastily it left a red smear on his cheek. The hum he exuded was music to Boar’s soul. Finally, someone thought he was good for something.
“Is like… everyone gay here?”
Matt shrugged, stuffing his mouth. “A lot of LGBT folks here, yep.”
Boar smiled, both shell-shocked and plain happy to be fitting in somewhere for once. “That’s… nice.”
“You know what’s nice? This food! Maybe with you here, I’ll stop living on Pop Tarts,” Matt said, grinning at Boar with sauce-stained teeth. Boar was about to have a taste himself when a hand snuck into the back pocket of his jeans.
Matt sure was forward, but if Boar was throwing caution to the wind, then… why not? Why shouldn’t he live his life however he pleased? Matt liked him, Matt was pretty great, so it was about time to stop running from any attraction he experienced. What did Boar have to lose? His virginity, that was for sure, but he no longer had a reason to hold onto it.
“I’d kiss you if I hadn’t slept in a park for three days,” Boar whispered, and when he held Matt’s gaze, the green eyes locked on his, immobile, as if his words gave Matt’s life a new focus.
“I’d kiss you if my mouth wasn’t full.”
Boar had to take a deep breath before shovelling down the first spoonful of his meal. He’d been starving, and just yesterday, he’d wondered how to stretch his ten bucks, but here he was, getting his belly full for free.
“We’ve got spare toothbrushes in the bathroom.” Matt’s flame-brows wiggled. “Whenever you’re ready for that shower.”
“I’ll just wash the dishes.”
Matt laughed and waved it off. “I’ll text Dru to do it. He’s got to earn his meal.”
It was fair, Boar supposed, so he was quick to stuff his mouth full. Matt must have had the same idea and wolfed down the whole thing at a record-breaking pace, while never once looking away from Boar. He dreaded what was to come but also couldn’t bear rejecting the attention Matt so readily bestowed on him.
Sink or swim.
He put the plate into the sink, and followed his breakfast with a glass of water.
“Warm. No longer hungry. Time to take care of other needs,” Matt stated, following his example.
“You mean being clean?”
“Among other things.” Matt grinned and grabbed Boar’s hand. By now his touch felt familiar, and the rapport between them—off the charts. As if they’d known each other for years.
As if desiring another man was not only normal but expected.
Matt took him upstairs. He made a stop by one of the closed rooms, but once he emerged with a towel that featured a large marijuana leaf, they soon reached the bathroom. It was communal, with several stalls divided by tiled partitions that didn’t reach all the way to the ceiling. The room needed urgent renovation, since many of the gray-white tiles had cracks, and in the air was a distinct drain smell someone had tried to mask with incense, but Boar didn’t care as long as he could use some soap and water.
Matt put a toothbrush into his mouth before offering another to Boar.
When Boar stood there, dumbstruck, Matt grinned at him, already brushing like a madman, and gestured at Boar to do the same.
Oh. Matt really wanted that kiss.
What would it be like to kiss a grown ass guy like him? Memories of fumbling in the bushes behind church, while fond, didn’t give Boar much idea about what sex would be like. Sure, he’d watched porn, he was no Amish guy, but actually experiencing another man’s touch? So very different from what imagination could supply.
In his fantasies, he was experienced, and they always featured a guy of Dru’s type, who’d moan, and whine in response to Boar’s attentions. The generic vision of a twink never complained, and always looked at Boar as if he were the best fuck of his life. Matt on the other hand? Matt was hot as hellfire, but Boar still searched for his place in the equation the two of them were about to form.
The moment of spitting out the toothpaste felt like a statement, and when he glanced Matt’s way, the other man met his gaze and pulled his top off.
Limbs and faces—some of which Boar recognized as famous murderers—were tattooed all over Matt’s chest, but despite the excitement of having so much flesh revealed for him, he studied the wild green eyes for encouragement.
But no. Matt pushed down his pants, and his dick, thick and slightly curved, sprang out, as if it were saying hello.
Boar was not so sure about showering together anymore. Sure, he wanted to be naked with a guy, but his body wasn’t anywhere near the muscular silhouette presented by Matt.
He dared lean closer for a kiss though. Despite Matt’s scruff, his lips were soft like minty marshmallow. Boar could’ve melted into them.
Matt let out a groan, hands pushing into Boar’s short wavy hair, the hard dick nudging his thigh. Boar couldn’t stop himself, and touched the warm flesh exposed to him, first resting his hands on the firm shoulders, then—once Ma
tt’s tongue stroked his own--slid them to the meaty pecs.
Exasperated by the onslaught of sensation, he deepened the kiss. Matt’s hungry mouth was set on devouring his, so Boar closed his eyes, indulging in the forbidden connection. As he kneaded Matt’s pec, rolling the nipple under his palm, he slid his other hand lower, all the way to the stiff dick. Matt wasn’t hung like a horse, but his cock was really thick. Boar wasn’t sure how it would feel, but he was positive that he did want to suck it.
Oh, God, how could he handle something so big? What were Matt’s intentions? Where did he hope to take this? Boar was too inexperienced and confused to come up with answers, so he opened his mouth wider and stabbed Matt’s mouth with his tongue. His head spun, but when a steady hand cupped his crotch, he couldn’t stall anymore. A decision was needed, because his dick had already made one, hot, throbbing, and desperate for touch.
He pulled away from Matt only to take off his hoodie and T-shirt, but when he hesitated about his jeans, Matt helped him, by unzipping Boar’s pants for him.
They slumped around his hips, revealing his favorite orange underwear, but under the intense scrutiny of green eyes he felt more naked than he’d ever had in a school locker room. This wasn’t casual nudity. This was sexual.
Matt wanted to be sexual with him.
“Come on, let’s get wet,” Matt said, and pulled Boar toward one of the empty stalls.
Every now and then, Boar peeked at Matt’s cock, unable to look away.
“Y-yeah. I’m dying for a shower.” Boar left his clothes behind, cringing at his own words.
Sure, remind the hot guy who wants to have sex with you that you’re homeless and haven’t washed like a normal person for three days.
But Matt didn’t seem to care. He stopped Boar with a gesture and leaned into the stall before retreating as soon as the water started running. He shuddered, shaking droplets off his head. “Damn, that’s cold!”
Boar snorted and pointed to Matt’s chest. “At least it got your nipples hard.” He still couldn’t believe that he was standing naked next to a man and felt so comfortable. Matt’s behavior didn’t provoke awkwardness. For him, it was all perfectly normal, and Boar found himself eager to follow his lead.
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